Good news might seem hard to come by these days, but not for Francisco Núñez Olivera. The Spaniard celebrated his 113th birthday on December 13, making him the oldest man in the world.
The father of four, grandfather of nine, and great-grandfather of 15 was born in the Extremadura region of western Spain on on December 13th, 1904. He credits his long lifetime to “good genes,” “hard work,” and a diet of garden vegetables.
He also drinks a glass of red wine everyday. (Not white. Just saying.)
Apart from the vino, Señor Olivera’s daily menu consists of milk, madeleines, and an Actimel (yogurt probiotic drink) for breakfast; meat, fish or stew for lunch; yogurt for an afternoon snack; and special cereal with milk for dinner.
And though you’re probably reading this on your lightweight computer-phone, here’s some context to the big news of 1904 (besides Francisco’s birthday):
- The first underground subway line in New York City opens.
- Henry Ford set a new automobile land speed record of 91.37 (!) mph.
- The United States bought the Panama Canal for $10 million.
We’re still working on figuring out what his “special cereal” is but until then, we’ll raise a glass of wine for the birthday boy.
¡Feliz cumpleaños, Francisco!
